REUTERS/Andrew MarshallA Philippine soldier stands on a pier near Oyster Bay on Palawan Island in the western Philippines September 25, 2013.

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines, aiming to boost its ability to defend offshore areas, wants to ensure U.S. warships are closer to the disputed South China Sea by offering the United States an underdeveloped naval base on a western island, its military chief has said.China has stepped up its activities to assert its extensive claim over the energy-rich South China Sea.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims over the sea, or parts of it, through which about $5 trillion of ship-borne goods pass every year.

Last month, the Philippines and the United States signed an Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) allowing U.S. forces wider access to Philippine bases and building facilities for joint use in maritime security and disaster response.

"Oyster Bay is still underdeveloped but we need to improve it for our armed forces," armed forces chief of staff General Emmanuel Bautista said in a television interview late on Wednesday, referring to a base on Palawan island to the west of main Philippine islands.

"Perhaps with the EDCA that can be facilitated and further improvement in Oyster Bay will be made."

Bautista said he was hoping the U.S. would help pay for the development of the base, where the Philippines has begun work, and help develop it into a major operating base for both navies.

Oyster Bay is only 160 km (100 miles) from the disputed Spratly islands, where China has been reclaiming a reef known as Johnson South Reef, and building what appears to be an airstrip on it.

The Philippine foreign ministry released on Thursday aerial surveillance photographs of the reef showing some work had been done.

In October, the Philippine navy commander on Palawan told Reuters the force had a plan to convert Oyster Bay into a "mini-Subic" where the country's two former U.S. Coast Guard cutters would be based.

Subic Bay is a former U.S. naval base which is now a commercial free port, where U.S. warships dock because of its deep harbor. There are plans to convert parts of the free port into an air and naval base.

Bautista said the Philippines was also offering the United States the use of a base in the Zambales area and an army jungle training base in Fort Magsaysay in the Nueva Ecija area.

(Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Robert Birsel)

Philippines, U.S. to hold naval drills near disputed shoal in South China Sea

MANILA Thu Jun 19, 2014 5:34am EDT

(Reuters) - Philippine and American troops are set to hold naval exercises this month near a disputed shoal, which will almost certainly anger China with tension already high in the South China Sea.

China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, potentially rich in oil and gas and fisheries.

The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan also claim parts of the waters, and China has viewed with suspicion what it sees as U.S. moves to "provoke" tension by supporting its regional allies, notably Vietnam and the Philippines.

Five warships, including a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, and about 1,000 troops will take part in week-long Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercises, which include live-fire drills 40 miles (64 km) off Zambales, on the western shores of the Philippine island of Luzon.

The drills are to be held about 80 nautical miles distant from two or three ships of the Chinese coast guard are stationed on patrol off the disputed Scarborough Shoal, control of which China seized from the Philippines in 2012.

In January 2013, the Philippines went to the arbitration court in The Hague to question China's "excessive" policy in the South China Sea, hoping the court would order China to pull its ships away from the rocky outcrop.

The exercises are aimed at strengthening the capabilities of both sides in amphibious operations, special operations and surface warfare, besides enhancing information-sharing, navy spokesman Lieutenant Rommel Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the drills were a regular annual event.

"They'll have targets at sea, called 'killer tomatoes'," he said, referring to the live-fire exercise. "All ships will aim at the hostile objects. Then they will take turns to fire their guns."

The USS Halsey, an Arleigh Burke-class missile-guided destroyer, will dock in the Philippine base Subic Bay on June 26 for the exercises. It will be joined by the USNS Safeguard and the USS Ashland.

Manila will send the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, a former US coastguard cutter, and the BRP Emilio Jacinto, a former British Royal Navy Peacock-class ship, for the drills, along with Polish-made helicopters.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei in a more detailed response to PTI said countries in the region should help to build a more harmonious Asia-Pacific with mutual trust.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei in a more detailed response to PTI said countries in the region should help to build a more harmonious Asia-Pacific with mutual trust.ET SPECIAL:Save precious time tracking your investments

BEIJING: Keeping a close watch on Malabar exercises involving the navies of India, Japan and the US, a wary China today reacted cautiously to the drills hoping that they would be conducive to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We have noticed the report," the Chinese Defence Ministry said in e-mail response to a query from PTI about its reaction to the Malabar exercises which began off Japan's coast yesterday. "We hope defence cooperation among relevant countries can be conducive to peace and stability in the region," it said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei in a more detailed response to PTI said countries in the region should help to build a more harmonious Asia-Pacific with mutual trust.

"China actively promotes the Asian Security Concept that is based on common, comprehensive and sustainable security. A harmonious and stable Asia-Pacific region built on the basis of mutual trust among all countries is in line with the common interests of all countries in this region," Hong said.

"But at the same time it also requires all sides to put in an effort. We have noticed the relevant moves and hope that the actions by the relevant countries could follow this direction and should help in building mutual trust among the countries of the region and regional peace and stability," he said.

China had in the past objected to the participation of Japan and other countries in the Malabar series naval drills held mainly between India and the US. The last exercise involving Japan was held in 2009.

Japan continues to be a very sensitive point for China as the relations between the two nose-dived in the recent past due to a dispute over islands in East China Sea. Their navies and military jets jostled with each other to assert their claims over the unmanned islands.

Beijing's ties with Washington also bogged down over the US support to Japan as well as to the Philippines and Vietnam over the South and East China Sea maritime disputes.

2014-06-20 (from janes.com) — China is conducting dredging operations at three reefs in the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea, according to data provided by IHS Maritime .GPS tracking of a dredger using AISLive ship tracking data has confirmed Philippine claims that China has been reclaiming land at five locations since at least September 2013.The dredging is part of major land reclamation projects undertaken by China on a number of the reefs and shoals it controls in the Spratlys. While such construction is in clear breach of a code of conduct signed by all claimants in the South China Sea territorial dispute, China has rejected any criticism of its activities by saying that the reefs are “indisputably” Chinese territory and so can be modified as Beijing sees fit.

Tian Jing Hao , a 127 m-long seagoing cutter suction dredgerThe vessel, Tian Jing Hao , is a 127 m-long seagoing cutter suction dredger designed by German engineering company Vosta LMG. At 6,017 gross tonnes, it is credited as being the largest of its type in Asia. It has been operating on Cuarteron Reef (also known as Calderon Reef, Da Chau Vien, or Huayang Jiao); the Gaven Reefs (Nanxun Jiao and Xinan Jiao, Dá Ga Ven, and Dá Lc, Burgos); the Union Reefs (in particular at Johnson South Reef and Johnson North Reef); and at Fiery Cross Reef.Licence built by China Merchants Heavy Industry yard in Shenzhen and launched in early 2010, Tian Jing Hao is operated by CCCC Tianjin Dredging. It deploys a cutter with the power of 4,200 kW to the seabed and deposits the spoil either through pipeline ashore for land reclamation or into hopper barges for dumping offshore.The vessel can deploy its cutter to a depth of 30 m, with an extraction rate of 4,500 m 3 per hour, making it ideal for large-scale dredging operations.According to the AISLive data, the dredger has been at Gaven Reefs since 24 May. This corroborates background briefings by Philippine officials, who have told IHS Jane’s that three dredgers – including Tian Jing Hao and another called Nina Hai Tuo – are at Gaven Reef along with a large tugboat.According to Philippine officials who have had access to naval aviation photos of the areas in question, Tian Jing Hao is moving “seabed material to a reclaimed area”. Philippine military reports say that “reclamation operations at Gaven Reef are expected to be a month or more, barring any environmental setbacks”.AISLive tracking of Tian Jing Hao ‘s activities in the South China Sea shows that it has been moving between reefs since 17 December 2013. Satellite imagery provided to IHS Jane’s confirms it was operating at Johnson South Reef – part of the Union Reefs – in February and March 2014. Other ships may also have been present in these areas, but were unidentifiable due to clutter or coverage issues.COMMENTChina has had a presence at many of these reefs since the late 1980s, when it began building platforms ostensibly under the guise of “sea-level monitoring”. Fiery Cross Reef is one of the more notable examples of this, but has since been developed into a PLA Navy garrison, complete with pier, greenhouses, and coastal artillery.In the case of Johnson South Reef, China wrested the reef from Vietnamese control in 1988 in a skirmish that left up to 70 Vietnamese personnel dead. Since the images of reclamation at the reef were published in May 2014, plans showing a runway, hangars for fast jets, a port, wind turbines, and greenhouses have been widely circulated online. The plans were first announced in 2012 and then published by the No. 9 Design & Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, although they were later taken down from the institute’s website.It is important to note that China is not alone in conducting land reclamation of the South China Sea islands it controls. Since capturing Southwest Cay from the Philippines in 1975, Vietnam has substantially altered the island, adding a harbour and other land features in the past 10 years. Taiwan, which controls Itu Aba (Taiping) island, has built an airstrip and is currently upgrading its naval facilities. The Philippines has also announced plans to upgrade an airport and pier on Thitu (Pagasa) island, although resources remain a major issue for Manila.The main difference between these activities and China’s is that they modified existing land masses, while Beijing is constructing islands out of reefs that for the most part were under water at high tide.The strategic effect of China’s dredging and land reclamation makes it the most significant change to the South China Sea dispute since the 1988 Battle of Johnson South Reef. If completed as envisioned in the CGI designs, China will have its first airstrip in the Spratly islands – and a base from which to impose its interpretation of the surrounding features’ sovereignty.This has not gone unnoticed in Manila, where Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte told reporters on 13 June that the Chinese were being “very aggressive in pursuing their expansion in the West Philippine Sea, and obviously, these steps are designed to advance the theory of their nine-dash line”.In response, the Philippines has called for a moratorium on construction in the disputed South China Sea islands, including the Paracel islands. China responded on 16 June by dismissing the suggestion and accusing Manila of hypocrisy. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying pointed to Manila’s building facilities in the Spratlys “on the one hand, and making irresponsible remarks about what China has legitimately done within her sovereign rights on the other”, she said. “That is totally unjustifiable.”

This post has been updated to include a quote from the Singapore’s minister for foreign affairs and law, K. Shanmugam.

The commander of U.S. 7th Fleet said Japan should start patrolling the South China Sea and said China’s claims in the region are resulting in, “unnecessary friction” with neighbors.

In a Thursday interview with news service Reuters, Vice Adm. Robert Thomas said Japan could provide a, “stabilizing function” as tensions resulting from overlapping regional claims rise and China’s fishing and naval fleets continue to grow.

“I think that [Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces] operations in the South China Sea makes sense in the future,” he said.“In the South China Sea, frankly, the Chinese fishing fleet, the Chinese coastguard and the (navy) overmatch their neighbors.”

An expansion of JMSDF patrols from the East China Sea into the South China Sea could be seen by Beijing as a provocative move on the behalf of Tokyo.

Japan – a staunch U.S. ally – has been at odds with China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu island chain at the Southern edge of the East China Sea and claimed a record number of interdictions against Chinese fighters in 2014.

China’s state-backed press has spent much ink comparing current Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the expansionist Imperial Japan of the early and mid-20th century and been highly critical of Japan’s new expansion of its defense posture from more of a policy of strictly self-defense.

Recently, Japan and the Philippines have discussed expanding their security relationship.

“For the Philippines, the issue is one of capacity. For the Japanese that is a perfect niche for them to help, not just in equipment, but in training and operations,” Thomas said.

For its part, the U.S. has walked a careful line of staying directly out of South China Sea territorial disputes but advocates for multi-lateral territorial settlements while Beijing prefers dealing with nations one-on-one.

Thomas said that China’s claims, including the so-called nine-dash line which intersects the internationally recognized territorial waters of several South China Sea countries, led to increased tension.

“The alleged nine-dash line, which doesn’t comport with international rules and norms, standards, laws, creates a situation down there, which is unnecessary friction,” he said.

This week, foreign ministers of countries in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have renewed called for a code of conduct in the South China Sea in response to Chinese land reclamation efforts that appear to be planned military bases in Spratly Islands.

“A number of countries raised the issue very strongly because they felt that the progress on the code of conduct was a little muted compared with the way in which land reclamation was being carried out,” said K. Shanmugam, Singapore’s minister for foreign affairs and law said on Wednesday, according to Jane’s Defence Weekly.

Whether or not Thomas comments to Reuters are an indication of a change in the U.S. position in the South China Sea, is unclear.

On Thursday, a Pentagon spokesman told USNI News Thomas’ words speak for themselves and did not say if the comments were part of larger policy shift in U.S. policy in the region.

Likewise, a Washington-based Navy spokesman would not comment on the interview and referred USNI News to 7th Fleet.

The U.S. Navy said the Pelicans of Patrol Squadron [VP] 45 undertook a familiarization flight for the Filipino crew to increase understanding and showcase the capabilities of the Navy’s newest maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft during a detachment to Clark Air Base in Central Luzon on February 17.

“The flight was a bilateral patrol mission in airspace off of Luzon Island and allowed the U.S. Navy air crew to demonstrate the P-8A’s capabilities in both the littoral and open ocean environment and the flight characteristics of the P-8A in both high altitude reconnaissance missions and low altitude patrol regimes,” the U.S. Navy said in a news release. “The air crew also explained the operation of the aircraft’s multi-mission sensors.”

“It was a remarkable opportunity to work alongside the members of the Filipino Armed Forces,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Matthew Pool, Combat Air Crew 4 patrol plane commander. “Sharing this aircraft’s capabilities with our allies only strengthens our bonds.”

The VP-45 executed more than 180 flight hours during the three-week detachment from February 1 to February 21.

The P-8A Poseidon replaces the older P-3 Orion, which had been on rotational deployment as part of increased U.S. and Philippine military and intelligence cooperation since 2001.

The U.S. Navy has described the P-8A as the most advanced long-range anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare aircraft in the world.

It added that the P-8A is significantly quieter than the P-3, requires less maintenance, and provides more on-station time.

P-8A deployment a sign of commitment to regional security

Zachary Abuza of Southeast Asia Analytics said the deployment of the P-8A comes at a time when both the U.S. and Philippines have expressed concern over the speed and scope of Chinese reclamation efforts on five or six atolls in territory in the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines.

The deployment of the P-8A, America’s most advanced naval surveillance aircraft, is evidence of Washington, D.C., concerns over China’s aggressive measures and a display of commitment to Philippine security, Abuza said.

“The U.S. is trying to signal that it will respond in kind to China’s salami slice tactics; Beijing’s actions have not gone unnoticed. It also comes at a time when the Philippines Supreme Court is deliberating on the enhanced cooperation defense agreement,” he added.

Abuza pointed out that the massive reclamation will give China added capabilities to control sea lanes of communication, to interfere with freedom of navigation, and potentially to enforce an Air Defense Identification Zone [ADIZ] over 90 percent of the South China Sea that it claims.

“Unlike the declared ADIZ in China’s East Sea that it had no ability to enforce, Beijing is determined to be able to enforce any such zone in the South China Sea before it declares it,” Abuza said.

“China is so determined to ensure its control over the South China Sea and to adjust the status quo before the other claimant states increase their capabilities. Yet in doing so they are ensuring that the United States remains actively engaged in Southeast Asia and security while other competitors such as Japan and India step up their involvement and cooperation,” he added.

“For China it is a trade-off: securing resources versus the rapid military expenditures, capabilities and policies [Japan] of its neighbors and deepening engagement of peer competitors [the United States and India],” he said.

Japan Maritime Self Defense Force chief visits Manila

During Takei’s visit with Domingo, the two senior military officers discussed concerns about maritime domain awareness and challenges in the South China Sea. They also expressed mutual interests in conducting bilateral naval exercises and disaster response operations in the future.

During their meeting in January, Nakatani and Gazmin extensively and frankly exchanged ideas regarding security circumstances surrounding the two countries, according to a joint statement. They also discussed their defense policy and regional and global security challenges, as well as bilateral defense cooperation and exchanges.

Both briefed each other on and acknowledged the current situation in South China Sea and East China Sea. The two officials shared the view that any dispute should be settled peacefully without use of force or coercion, in accordance with basic principles of international law.

They also reaffirmed the importance of the freedom of navigation and overflight in the high seas.

The joint statement said the two officials shared views to elevate bilateral defense cooperation and exchanges to a new phase based on the “Strategic Partnership” between Japan and the Philippines, strengthening cooperation and exchanges through capacity building assistance and trainings/exercises in the area of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief [HA/DR] and Maritime Security, exploring a new possibility of cooperation in such areas as defense equipment and technology.

To promote cooperation in maritime security, the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and Philippine Navy, which are both members of Western Pacific Naval Symposium [WPNS], will work together to contribute to the sound implementation of and further development of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea [CUES], the statement said.

They will conduct bilateral naval training this year using CUES.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Air Force also will work toward participating in future “Cope North Guam,” Japan-U.S.-Australia Joint Exercise and promote cooperation and exchanges in the area of HA/DR.

Abuza noted that the Philippines is not only encouraging more joint exercises and joint patrols with Japan but also hopes for the transfer of more military hardware.

“The Philippines is actively courting greater involvement by Japan in the South China Sea to supplement its very weak maritime capabilities. The Philippines does not have any military capability to deter Chinese actions. Therefore, its strategy is based on its arbitration case against China and engaging allies,” Abuza said.

One the United States' strongest and most advanced allies in Asia is stepping up its role in regional security, and for sailors it could mean a lot more exercises and exchange programs, experts say.

Troubled by the rise of a more assertive China, Japan has signaled a sea change in a long-standing armed forces policy of strictly self-defense dating back to the end of World War II.

Japan's top admiral said in June that his forces were open to the idea of going on patrols in the South China Sea with the U.S., something the U.S. has been pushing Japan to do for some time.

Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, chief of the Joint Staff of the Japanese Self-Defense Force, said the recent actions by China — including aggressive moves like creating an air identification zone in the East China Sea and building artificial islands in the South China Sea — have been worrisome and that Japan is reassessing how it approaches its fraught relationship with its larger neighbor.

"In the case of China, as we can see with the South China Sea problem, they are rapidly expanding their naval presence and their defense spending is still growing," Kawano told The Wall Street Journal. "Also because there is a lack of transparency, we are very concerned about China's actions."

In addition to the potential patrols, the Japanese have been in discussions with the Philippines for a visiting forces agreement, similar to the one brokered between the U.S. and the Philippines last year, which would allow Japan to use some Philippine military facilities.

This is a remarkable change, that comes after decades of hard feelings toward Japan stemming from their brutal occupation of the island nation during World War II.

Japan's emerging commitment to regional security beyond its territorial waters could mean more opportunities for sailors to work with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, said retired Adm. James Stavridis, who served as NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

"Japan is like us in that it is, at its core, a maritime power," Stavridis said. "I think sailors can expect an upgraded set of exercises, technology exchanges, sailor exchanges, and an even more welcoming sense for U.S. forces in Japan. Overall I think it's very positive."

Rising risks

Many Japanese feel threatened by China, and those concerns have been reflected in the politics of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said Stavridis, who now serves as dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

"Shinzo Abe has been much more assertive and forward leaning than his predecessors going all the way back to the World War II," he said.

Abe has been controversial in the region. His views on the Japanese role in WWII have angered many Chinese and Korean people, including those old enough to remember atrocities committed by Japanese troops.

For this reason, Japan and the U.S. will have to tread lightly, said Lawrence Korb, a former assistant defense secretary.

"You have to be very careful the way this is played," said Korb, who is an analyst with the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. "When you travel to China and you talk to them, they'll tell you things like, 'You don't understand the Japanese.' It's like 1939 was yesterday to them. They'll say we don't understand what [the Chinese people] went through."

Since the end of World War II, Japan has been a pacifist country. In 1947, the country adopted a new constitution that made going to war for any other reason than self-defense illegal.

Korb said that the U.S. has been seeking to get Japan to take a more active role in regional security as far back as the Reagan administration, when he was at the Pentagon.

The inclusion of Japan in regional security efforts would be a great help to the U.S., which has been the main cop on the beat in the Asia-Pacific since the 1940s. Japan has one of the world's largest navies, with more than 120 ships to include destroyers, amphibs and attack submarines. Japan's latest moves signal that those ships could sail with U.S. ships and task forces, like the forward-deployed carrier strike group based in Japan.

China's recent aggressive actions in the South China Sea, including creating the air identification zone over islands claimed by Japan at the end of 2013, have spurred Japan into a more assertive posture, but China has also managed to tick off just about every one of its neighbors in one way or another.

The result has been that countries like the Philippines, a U.S. ally, and even erstwhile enemies like communist Vietnam, have turned to the United States for forceful backup. That's a win for the U.S., Korb said.

"In the long run what the Chinese have done is revitalize all those countries to work with us," Korb said. "Just look at the Philippines: The Philippines kicked us out in the early 1990s and now they want us back."

But even with more willing partners in the Pacific, Stavridis said the situation is as dangerous as any the U.S. faces today.

"Even more so than the Middle East or Europe, the risk of great power conflict is greater in that region than anywhere else in the world."

A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces' TC-90 training aircraft is seen in this undated handout photo released by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces, and obtained by Reuters on August 5, 2015. REUTERS/Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force/Handout via Reuters

A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces' TC-90 training aircraft is seen in this undated handout photo released by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces, and obtained by Reuters on August 5, 2015.REUTERS/JAPAN MARITIME SELF-DEFENSE FORCE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERSJapan wants to give planes to the Philippines that Manila could use for patrols in the South China Sea, sources said, a move that would deepen Tokyo's security ties with the Southeast Asian nation most at odds with Beijing over the disputed waterway.

Four sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Japan was looking to offer three Beechcraft TC-90 King Air planes that could be fitted with basic surface and air surveillance radar.

They said talks within the Japanese government were preliminary and would need to overcome legal hurdles. Japan had yet to formally propose the planes as an alternative to more sophisticated Lockheed Martin P3-C aircraft that Manila wants to track Chinese submarine activity, they added.

Senior Philippine military and defense officials in Manila said they had not heard about the possible donation of the twin-turboprop TC-90 aircraft, which Japan uses to train military pilots.

"The Philippines doesn't have enough aircraft to conduct regular patrols over the South China Sea," one of the sources in Japan said, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Donating aircraft, even small planes, would represent a military upgrade for the Philippines, which has only a handful of fixed-wing planes it can deploy on maritime patrols.

Tokyo has no claims in the South China Sea, but is worried about Beijing's construction of seven artificial islands in the waterway's Spratly archipelago, which will extend Chinese military reach into sea lanes through which much of Japan's ship-borne trade passes.

Concerns over the islands have dominated regional meetings in Kuala Lumpur this week between Southeast Asia and countries including Japan, China and the United States.

Equipping Manila with maritime-capable patrol planes would dovetail with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's more muscular security agenda but likely anger China, which has repeatedly accused Japan of interfering in the South China Sea dispute.

A spokesman for Japan's Ministry of Defense said working level talks had been set up to explore possible cooperation in defense equipment with the Philippines but that there was no "concrete plan" to give Manila the TC-90s.

Philippine Defence Minister Voltaire Gazmin told Reuters he was unaware of any Japanese plan to supply the aircraft. Top Philippine generals said they were also unaware of any proposal but welcomed the growing security cooperation with Japan.

China's Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

POSSIBLE PRECEDENT

To allow what would be its first donation of equipment used by the Japanese military to another country, lawmakers would have to amend financial regulations that require second-hand government-owned equipment to be sold at fair market value, sources said.

That could open the way for Japan to give military equipment to other friendly nations in Southeast Asia.

The sources in Japan said radar to monitor surface activity and aircraft could be easily installed on the TC-90 planes if they were transferred. The U.S. military uses Beechcraft King Air 90s in transport roles and to train pilots.

While Gazmin said Manila still wanted P3s that Tokyo will retire over the next several years, a senior Philippine military official said operating and maintaining such advanced surveillance aircraft and ground-based support equipment would be a challenge. The P3s, which have four turboprops, also use a lot of fuel, he added.

Japan worries that the Philippine military's lack of experience in maritime surveillance means it would struggle to operate the aircraft's equipment and be able to quickly analyze data collected, sources in Tokyo said.

GROWING SECURITY COOPERATION

China claims most of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam also claim parts of the ocean.

While acknowledging its new islands will have undefined military purposes, China insists it is not a threat to its neighbors and says the outposts will also have civilian uses such as search and rescue and weather monitoring.

Recent satellite images show China has almost finished building a 3,000-metre-long (10,000-foot) airstrip on one of the islands.

The Philippines and Japan have conducted two naval exercises in and around the South China Sea in recent months.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino and Abe also agreed in June to begin talks on a visiting forces agreement that would open the way for Japan to use bases in the Philippines to refuel aircraft and resupply naval vessels.

The United States, which has security treaties with both Manila and Tokyo, has backed the cooperation because it wants its regional allies to shoulder more of the security burden as Chinese military power and assertiveness grows.

Washington has asked the Japanese military to provide training and maintenance along with any aircraft it supplies to the Philippines, a U.S. military source told Reuters.

The Philippines booted the U.S. military out of the country 25 years ago, deriding the American troops as unwelcome guests and living symbols of colonialism. Now, fearful of a rising China, Manila is asking Washington to send them back.

The push got a major boost Tuesday when the Philippine Supreme Court approved a landmark defense cooperation deal with the United States that paves the way for American forces to deploy to an array of bases throughout the country.

The new deal represents a concrete success for the Obama administration’s “rebalance” to Asia and reflects a broader trend in the region as China’s smaller neighbors seek to push back against Beijing’s expansionist claims in the contested South China Sea. Manila, for instance, fears Beijing could seize control of the disputed Scarborough Shoal after repeated clashes with Chinese coast guard vessels over fishing rights. It sees the American military as a powerful friend that can help it counter China.

Leaders in both Manila and Washington hope the pact will serve as a deterrent to Beijing and “help convince the Chinese that pressuring its neighbors into giving up their territorial claims is actually not in China’s interest,” according to Ernest Bower, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The accord had been negotiated in April 2014, but a legal challenge had held it up in court for months. The court ruled that the pact did not amount to a treaty that would need approval from the country’s Senate and instead could stand as an “executive agreement” under the authority of the country’s president, Benigno Aquino III.

The court ruling was announced hours before Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Ash Carter held talks with their Philippine counterparts in Washington. The decision will free up tens of millions of dollars in U.S. funds set aside for modernizing the Philippine navy and other forces, which have lagged behind other states in the region. In return, the United States will have permission to land aircraft and send ships to various bases, as well as to pre-position military equipment and supplies in the country.

“As Manila finds itself the target of Chinese coercion in the West Philippine Sea and is looking to Washington for leadership, this agreement will give us new tools to deepen our alliance with the Philippines, expand engagement with the Philippine Armed Forces, and enhance our presence in Southeast Asia,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in a statement.

Pentagon spokesman Cmdr. Bill Urban said that the agreement will benefit both countries and allow U.S. forces to rotate forces through the country on temporary deployments. But the accord “does not provide for permanent U.S. bases in the Philippines,” Urban told Foreign Policy.

The Philippines had said previously that the pact will likely grant the U.S. military access to eight bases, including two in the strategic South China Sea — Antonio Bautista Air Base and Naval Station Carlito Cunanan.

Under the deal, both governments will work out which bases will be opened to the Americans, and in some cases, the United States will help make improvements to some facilities, officials said. But it’s likely that the naval base at Subic Bay, once a sprawling hub for the U.S. Navy, and Clark Air Base will be included in the mix.

The agreement also supports the Pentagon’s new strategy that calls for dispersing its warplanes and naval ships if necessary to reduce the potential threat posed by China’s formidable missile arsenal.

China has accused the United States of meddling in territorial disputes in the South China Sea and insisted it has a historic claim to much of the disputed waters.

But Beijing has alarmed its neighbors by building artificial islands on top of reefs or rocks at a frenetic pace, in a bid to push through its far-reaching claims in the strategic waterway.

The United States has insisted it will uphold the right to “freedom of navigation” by sailing and flying near the man-made islands. By granting wider access for U.S. naval vessels and aircraft in the Philippines, the deal could allow the United States to stage more “freedom of navigation” patrols in the South China Sea, as well as improve its monitoring of Chinese activity, analysts said.

U.S. reaches deal for rotational military presence at five bases in Philippines

MAR 19, 2016

WASHINGTON – The U.S. and the Philippines announced Friday five locations where American forces will have access under a new defense pact, including one facing disputed islands in the South China Sea.

The announcement came at strategic talks in Washington, where the allies reiterated their opposition to the militarization of outposts in those waters, where six Asian governments have competing claims.

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China has built artificial islands with airstrips and military facilities as it asserts its claim to virtually all the South China Sea, including land features claimed by the Philippines.

Another of the five Philippine military bases where the U.S. will have access is on southern Mindanao island, where the U.S. is concerned about the presence of Muslim extremist groups.

The 10-year defense pact was signed by U.S. and Philippine officials in 2014, but it only got the green light this January after the Philippine Supreme Court ruled it was constitutional. It is a key part of the Obama administration effort to reassert its presence in Asia.

Philip Goldberg, the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, said the pact would allow the U.S. to rotate more forces and military assets through that country on a basis of mutual agreement with Manila. It can also conduct construction and position supplies, including for humanitarian relief.

Goldberg said the U.S. is not establishing its own bases as it had in the Philippines until 1992. They were closed amid a tide of Philippine nationalism.

Senior U.S. defense official Amy Searight said Defense Secretary Ash Carter would travel to the Philippines in April to discuss implementation of the pact.

Goldberg said he could not set a date for when U.S. forces would be deployed but he expected movement of supplies and personnel to begin “very soon.”

U.S. Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino said the Philippines was a “reliable partner” and was looking forward to working with the U.S. to develop the agreed-upon locations.

The implementation of the defense pact comes at a time of heightened tension in the South China Sea and will be opposed by China, which views the increased U.S. presence in the region as an attempt at containment.

The locations are at Antonio Bautista Air Base on western Palawan island, which faces the hotly disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea; Lumbia Air Base on southern Mindanao island; Basa Air Base and Fort Magsaysay, north of the capital, Manila; and Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base on Cebu.

U.S. officials say the pact will also enable it help train the Philippines’ military but isn’t aimed at China.

“It is not aimed at any country, but rather at improving our bilateral relationship” with the Philippines and boosting the U.S. rebalance to Asia, Goldberg told reporters.

Searight said the administration has notified Congress that it intends to spend $50 million on boosting the maritime security of Southeast Asian nations, and most would go to the Philippines.

The Philippines is far outgunned by China, and has sought legal recourse as well as bolstering its security.

By midyear, an international tribunal is expected to rule on a case brought by the Philippines that challenges the legal basis of China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

Daniel Russel, top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, said that would be a critical moment for “rules-based” future of the region, although China says it is not bound by the arbitration.

U.S. reveals joint patrols with Philippines in South China SeaAPAPR 14, 2016ARTICLE HISTORY

MANILA – In a military buildup certain to inflame tensions with China, the United States said Thursday it will be conducting joint South China Sea patrols — and eventually air patrols — with the Philippines, while dispatching U.S. troops and combat aircraft there on more frequent rotations.

The announcement by Defense Secretary Ash Carter was the first time the U.S. revealed that its ships had conducted patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea, a somewhat rare move not done with many other partners in the region.

While Carter insisted the U.S. was “trying to tamp down tensions here” and not provoke anyone, Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin — standing beside him at a news conference in Manila — said he expects that U.S. forces, “with their presence here, will deter uncalled-for actions by the Chinese.”

While the military boost doesn’t include permanent basing for U.S. troops, any increased U.S. military presence and activities in the region is viewed as a threat by Beijing and will likely trigger an angry response.

During the news conference, Carter said the United States will be keeping nearly 300 troops, including Air Force commandos armed with combat aircraft and helicopters, in the Philippines through the end of the month. The U.S. will also increase troop rotations to strengthen training and support increased military operations in the region.

Speaking in the guest house of the presidential complex, Carter said the joint patrols will improve the Philippine’s navy and “contribute to the safety and security of the region’s waters.”

The increase in military support comes just days after a Philippine diplomat asked that the U.S. help convince China not to build in the nearby Scarborough Shoal, which is viewed as important to Filipino fishermen. Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Cuisia Jr. said the Philippines is not capable of stopping China from constructing there. China has built man-made islands in other contested spots in the South China Sea.

Charlito Maniago, the leader of a northwestern Philippine village where many fishermen lost access to the disputed Scarborough Shoal after China seized it in 2012, said the joint will spark hope that they can sail freely again to the rich fishing ground.

“This will boost the confidence of our fishermen because they think the U.S. has the capability to defend them,” Maniago told The Associated Press by telephone from the coastal village of Cato in Pangasinan province. “The presence of America will make China think twice.”

Maniago, however, expressed concern that if China takes a more hard line position because of Washington’s increasing involvement in the disputed waters “a dangerous situation may happen and our fishermen may all the more lose the chance to fish in those waters.”

According to the Pentagon, the U.S. forces that will remain here are already in the Philippines participating in the Balikatan or shoulder-to-shoulder combat exercises which will end Friday. About 200 airmen, including special operations forces will remain at Clark Air Base, along with three of their Pave Hawk attack helicopters, an MC-130H Combat Talon II special mission aircraft and five A-10 combat aircraft.

This initial contingent will provide training to increase the two militaries’ ability to work together, laying the groundwork for forces to do joint air patrols as well as the ship movements.

Also, up to 75 Marines will stay at Camp Aguinaldo to support increased U.S. and Philippine combined military operations in the region.

The troops and aircraft are expected to leave at the end of the month, but other U.S. forces and aircraft would do similar rotations into the Philippines routinely in the future. Carter would not say how frequently those rotations would happen, but called it a “regular periodic presence.”

The increased troop presence is part of a broader U.S. campaign to expand its assistance to the Philippines, as America shores up its allies in the Asia Pacific. And it comes as territorial disputes with China, including Beijing’s increasing effort to build man-made islands in the South China Sea, roils nations across the region.

The U.S. and others have consistently said the military exercises and assistance packages are not aimed at China but represent America’s continued support for its allies in the region.

Last week the Pentagon announced that the U.S. will send about $40 million in military assistance to the Philippines to beef up intelligence sharing, surveillance and naval patrols. Carter said the aid will include an enhanced information network for classified communications, sensors for patrol vessels and an unmanned aerostat reconnaissance airship.

The patrol sensors and surveillance equipment will help the Philippines keep a watch over its territory, including areas where there are overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

The U.S. will also get access to five Philippine military bases to house American forces that will rotate in and out of the country for training and other missions.

Scarborough Shoal is at the center of a case that Manila filed with the Permanent Court of Arbitration, an international panel, in January 2013 after Chinese coast guard ships took effective control of the disputed land following a tense standoff with Filipino ships.

The shoal sits about 230 kilometers west of the Philippines, and 1,000 kilometers from the Chinese coast.

The court has agreed to take the case and is expected to rule in the coming months. Beijing has objected, saying the panel has no jurisdiction in the matter.

Hong Kong (CNN)U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has announced an "enhanced military alliance" between the United States and the Philippines, and expressed concerns over China's activities in the South China Sea.

Carter made the announcement while visiting the Philippines where American and Filipino troops are holding annual joint military drills.

Speaking at a news conference with Philippines Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin Thursday, Carter said the two countries have been conducting joint patrols in the South China Sea and will increase them going forward to ensure security for the region's waters.Carter also said U.S. aircraft will remain behind at Clark Air Base after the drills, and 200 airmen will continue joint training, conduct flight operations and lay the foundation for joint air patrols, to complement ongoing maritime patrols.Showdown in the South China Sea: How did we get here?Carter also added that the United States and the Philippines have agreed to upgrade infrastructure at five locations in the Philippines. The U.S. has already released the first batch of money -- $42 million -- to support this program.A HIMARS (High Mobility Advanced Rocket System) fires at a target during the annual joint military exercises.A HIMARS (High Mobility Advanced Rocket System) fires at a target during the annual joint military exercises."This is a time of change in the region," Carter said. "We want to continue upholding stability and security in the region."After the Philippines visit, Carter headed to the USS John C. Stennis currently crossing the South China Sea.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook tweeted out a video Friday showing the defense secretary's views as an F/A-18 plane landed on the U.S. aircraft carrier's deck.This visit, which a U.S. official had told CNN about beforehand, is all part of Carter's extended trip to Asia and the Middle East.Freedom of navigationThe Philippines and a number of other countries in Southeast Asia have territorial disputes with China over the South China Sea. China claims the whole of the South China Sea as its territory. China also has a territorial dispute with Japan over a set of islands in the East China Sea -- referred to by China as Diaoyu but called Senkaku by Japan."There's no question that there's concern in the region about China's behavior," Carter said. "The U.S. values peaceful resolving of disputes. The U.S. values freedom of navigation. Countries that don't stand for those things will be isolated. That is self-isolation, not isolation by us."Two V-22 Osprey aircraft hover above armored personnel carriers of the Philippine army and U.S. marines during the drills.Two V-22 Osprey aircraft hover above armored personnel carriers of the Philippine army and U.S. marines during the drills.He added: "With respect to Chinese claims in the South China Sea and to all other parties, the American position is very clear, that these things should be settled peacefully and lawfully. We don't take sides in them per se. We are on the side of peaceful resolution."Philippines Defense Minister Gazmin added the U.S. presence "will deter uncalled for actions by the Chinese."China, meanwhile, accused the U.S. of taking a "lopsided approach favoring China's rival claimants."In a commentary published by the state-run Xinhua news agency, Washington was accused of "going back on its words."But it warned that "neither muscle-flexing nor arbitrary intervention will shake China's resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and maritime rights."Then taking aim at Manila, the piece went on to state that "provocations, maneuvers, attempts to involve outsiders, or showing off a military alliance with Washington won't alter the historical fact of China's sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and adjacent waters."China said to deploy missiles on South China Sea island.

Over the past year, Washington has expressed outrage over a series of land reclamation projects by Beijing in the South China Sea. In a show of opposition, the Pentagon has conducted several provocative actions in the region, including Navy patrols within the territorial limits of those islands and surveillance flights through Chinese airspace.

US Sends Warplanes, Troops, and Ashton Carter to South China Sea"Countries across the Asia-Pacific are voicing concern with China’s land reclamation, which stands out in size and scope, as well as its militarization in the South China Sea," US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said during a visit to the USS Stennis in the South China Sea on Friday.

While Beijing has repeatedly urged for calm, Washington has ratcheted up its maneuvers, announcing new plans to deploy a fleet of unmanned submersibles into the waterway.

Carter said that the Pentagon is perfecting "new undersea drones in multiple sizes and diverse payloads that can, importantly, operate in shallow water, where submarines cannot."

The Pentagon plans to spend as much as $8 billion over the next year on submarines, both manned and unmanned, but the priority will be on arming autonomous submersibles.

"The idea is that if we were ever to get into a bust-up in the South China Sea, the Chinese would not know for sure what sort of capabilities the US might have," Shawn Brimley of the Center for a New American Security, a think tank, told Financial Times.

"This might have deterrent impact on the potential for provocative behavior."

Submersible drones have many of the same advantages of unmanned aerial vehicles. Without a crew, unmanned craft can be made smaller and cheaper, while still housing sonar and other surveillance systems. The affordability allows the Pentagon to deploy devices in larger numbers.

The smaller size also means that the craft will be harder to detect. Unmanned submersibles could slip undetected into enemy waters for reconnaissance or attack.

"The use of undersea drones opens up a whole new area of capabilities," Brimley said.

While the Pentagon is funneling large sums into submarine development, it is simultaneously developing a fleet of unmanned surface ships. Created by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Sea Hunter has earned the nickname “ghost ship” for its ability to autonomously and clandestinely search the world’s oceans for submarines.

China is outfitting new naval destroyers with their potent new anti-ship missiles, which pose This ship is meant to counter both Beijing and Moscow.

"We’re working on it because we’re deeply concerned about the advancements that China and Russia are making in this space," said Peter Singer of the New America Foundation, a think tank based in Washington DC.

A highly contested region through which nearly $5 trillion international trade passes annually, the South China Sea is claimed by China, though there are overlapping claims by Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Brunei.